Known clip securing devices have torsion clips which have a relatively long and wide design and low restoring forces, or bending clips which are relatively long and also have low restoring forces.
It is an object of the invention to provide a further clip securing device.
This and other objects are achieved by way of a clip securing device according to the invention having a receiving part with an opening and an insert part with a supporting part and a bridge portion. The bridge portion protrudes with respect to the supporting part and can be inserted into the opening, the direction of the protruding being the inserting direction.
The opening has an upper edge and a lower edge, and the bridge portion has two legs and a center section connecting the latter, along which center section a slot is present between the center section and the supporting part. On its top side, the bridge portion has a detent with a slanted surface which, when the center section of the bridge portion is inserted, is deflected into the opening of the bridge portion in the direction toward the lower edge of the opening.
In the process, the bridge portion, more precisely, its center section between the two legs, when the detent is inserted with its slanted surface downward, is deflected in the direction of the lower edge of the opening and, on the whole, is therefore elastically expanded.
As soon as the slanted surface has passed through the opening, the center section of the bridge portion will therefore snap back (upwards) so that the detent engages. In this case, the catching takes place between the front side (in the inserting direction) of the supporting part, which rests against the receiving part, and the rearward (with respect to the inserting direction) surface of the detent.
In an embodiment of the clip securing device, the cross-section of the detent has a rounded design. As a result, it can be prevented that material damage occurs by splintering or by a cutting destruction when the detent is inserted.
The inserting part can basically consist of any suitable material that permits the required elastic expansion of the center section of the bridge portion.
In an embodiment of the invention, the supporting part, the bridge portion and the detent are constructed in one piece of a plastic material.
This permits a simple and cost-effective manufacturing from a plastic material by means of injection molding, which correspondingly also applies to the material of the receiving part having the opening.
When the manufacturing takes place by means of injection molding, the slot is formed by a web present in the injection mold. The injected plastic flows on both sides around the web for forming the legs of the bridge portion and is then combined in the location where the detent is formed. This results in a weld line of the two flowing-together plastic flows. In principle, a weld line represents a weakening of the material which, however, in the present case, is compensated by a greater thickness of the material of the detent (its height).
According to a further embodiment of the invention, in the case of such a clip securing device made of plastic material, the transitions between the legs of the bridge portion and the supporting part have a rounded design. This prevents the occurrence of notch stress, which could take place in the case of a sharp-edged transition between the legs and the supporting part.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the plastic material is a thermoplastic, such as PP, ABS, PC, PA or a thermoplastic elastomer, such as PP/EPDM.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the slanted surface extends up to a height of from 1 to 2 mm above the top side of the bridge portion. By way of a sliding of the bridge portion into the opening, a sufficient expansion of the center section can thereby be achieved.
A further embodiment of the invention relates to a motor vehicle having a clip securing device according to an embodiment of the invention. In the case of a motor vehicle, a clip securing device can be used, for example, for mounting a molding, a panel, coverings or trims, lids or housing halves.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the receiving part of the clip securing devices is provided on a structural part of the motor vehicle, and its insert part is provided on an assembly part of the motor vehicle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.